Workers in Osun State under the Association of Concerned Local Government Workers, on Friday, declared their support for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Oyebamiji, vowing to cast their votes for him come August 15, 2026.

The association, a faction within the labour movement in the state, endorsed Oyebamiji at a May Day rally held at the premises of the Olorunda Local Government Secretariat in Osogbo.

At the rally, various groups of formal and informal workers, dressed in uniform attire, made presentations. However, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress in the state organised a separate May Day celebration at another location in Osogbo.

At the rally organised by the concerned workers, members of the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) participated in a ceremonial march past, while the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, comprising chairmen elected on the platform of the APC, Samuel Idowu, took the salute at the event.

Directing members of the union to support Oyebamiji and work for his victory, the coordinator of the group, Adedayo Adekunle, described the APC candidate as “a listening politician who will transform the fortunes of Osun.”

“We have done our investigation, and we discovered that he is the best to turn Osun around. AMBO has our full support, and we will do everything to ensure that he emerges as the next governor of Osun State come August 15 this year,” Adekunle said amid cheers from the workers.

He also tasked political heads of various local government councils to be more committed to workers’ welfare, stressing the need for them to justify the autonomy being enjoyed at the third tier of government and enable the people in the grassroots to enjoy good governance.

Adekunle called for the abolition of casualisation of staff in all government establishments, describing it as “barbaric, enslaving and unattractive to the best brains.”

“It is our demand that permanent job offers should be prioritised over offering graduates casual or temporary employment,” he said.

He added, “Safety at the workplace is not negotiable. All that is required to ensure the safety of employees should be given adequate attention.

“Social dialogue prevents strikes, and strikes hurt us all. We advise that you listen more and act faster on workers’ demands, as the era of treating workers as servants is over. We are now partners in delivering social goods and in decisions on governance and development.”

Adekunle further said, “After thorough assessment of the APC candidate for the August 15, 2026, governorship election, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), our association has found him to be a worthy leader. We therefore direct all our members to support him to ensure his victory at the polls.”

He disclosed that during the struggle for control of Local Government Secretariats, “54 members of staff lost their lives from various councils due to frustration, emotional stress, absence of social interaction, one ailment or the other.”

“As we speak, more than 400 local government workers have been suspended and removed from the payroll of the Osun State government and still counting.

“But our appeal goes to all the political heads in our various local government councils to redouble their commitment to the welfare of those workers who shared and believed in your government.

In his remarks, the Osun ALGON chairman, Samuel Idowu, assured them that the welfare of local government workers remains a top priority of the political leadership in the councils.

He said council chairmen would ensure prompt payment of salaries and entitlements, improved working conditions, support for capacity building and professional development, as well as a conducive environment for effective service delivery.

Highlighting some achievements recorded by APC council chairmen, Idowu said, “Since we assumed office, we have paid salary arrears owed to traditional rulers in the state.

“Each local government has empowered a minimum of 1,500 people and rehabilitated at least 30 kilometres of road network. We also procured 300 motorcycles for security agencies and additional security vehicles, which will be distributed soon. We have also intensified efforts to provide more infrastructure.”